Thursday, August 26, 2010

O Love of God, How Strong and True, Part V

Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these stars. The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, not one of them is missing. Isaiah 40:26

Our God is a God of might and strength. And He shows His love for us through that might and strength.

We read Thy power to bless and save,
E’en in the darkness of the grave;
Still more in resurrection light,
We read the fullness of thy might.

God's love for us raised Jesus from the dead that we too might live forever. Jesus, through His resurrection, triumphed over death once and for all so that we do not need to fear death.

He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.
Isaiah 25:8

It was God's might and strength that raised Jesus from the dead and seated Him at His (God's) right hand in the heavenly places.

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. Ephesians 1:18-23

And how's this for love? God tells us, through His word, that His strength and might are available to US! The same power that brought Jesus back to life after His crucifixion is shown "toward us who believe." That strength and might is at work in our lives, just as it was at work to raise Jesus from the dead! That is almost too much for me to comprehend. And look what else God has to say to encourage us:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Ephesians 6:10

Be strong! Call on the strength of His might! You do not have to rely on your own strength - lean on your Heavenly Father and let His strength and might uphold, support and embolden you to live for Him and rejoice in His love.


O Love of God, How Strong and True
Words by Horatio Bonar

O love of God, how strong and true!
Eternal, and yet ever new;
Uncomprehended and unbought,
Beyond all knowledge and all thought.

O love of God, how deep and great!
Far deeper than man’s deepest hate;
Self fed, self kindled, like the light,
Changeless, eternal, infinite.

O heavenly love, how precious still,
In days of weariness and ill,
In nights of pain and helplessness,
To heal, to comfort, and to bless!

O wide embracing, wondrous love!
We read thee in the sky above,
We read thee in the earth below,
In seas that swell, and streams that flow.

We read thee best in Him who came
To bear for us the cross of shame;
Sent by the Father from on high,
Our life to live, our death to die.

We read thy power to bless and save,
E’en in the darkness of the grave;
Still more in resurrection light,
We read the fullness of thy might.

O love of God, our shield and stay
Through all the perils of our way!
Eternal love, in thee we rest
Forever safe, forever blest.

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